Of course you read the NOTAMS.....
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would agree, there doesn't seem to be a problem in States that do allow these aricraft to operate IFR
And we know how hard it is to get bureaucrats to change rules. "If we change that rule and then someone dies their relatives will sue the **** out of us for changing the rule."
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Well, boys and girls, the Lasham Competitions are done, and out of 9 possible days, they flew IMPOSSIBLE distances on 6 of them! at least 300k, and up to 475 k. Most managed to get back to Lasham, very few landed out.
More than 80 gliders took part. I would really like to know, did any of you grumpy power pilots suffer the slightest inconvenience?
More than 80 gliders took part. I would really like to know, did any of you grumpy power pilots suffer the slightest inconvenience?
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I would really like to know, did any of you grumpy power pilots suffer the slightest inconvenience?
.....down the pub.
Mary, no inconvenience at all. Flew yesterday afternoon from Redhill clockwise round Gatwick to Brighton and carried on via Midhurst back to Redhill.
Lots of traffic being warned by Farnborough E about gliders so the prudent aviator kept well clear.
It was clearly shown on Skydemon where the NOTAMed area was.
Hope you all had a great time.
(Haven't done any serious gliding since 1970 when I did bungee launches off Long Mynd for 2 weeks).
Lots of traffic being warned by Farnborough E about gliders so the prudent aviator kept well clear.
It was clearly shown on Skydemon where the NOTAMed area was.
Hope you all had a great time.
(Haven't done any serious gliding since 1970 when I did bungee launches off Long Mynd for 2 weeks).
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Mary
None of us powered pilots are trying to spoil your fun. I for one am for more freedom of the skies for all of us not less.
Having experienced a very near miss with a glider in cloud while descending in a twin maybe i am not quite as confident with the big sky theory as most!
Are gliders a collision threat? Of course they are! Are they a bigger collision threat than a powered aircraft IMO yes! Why?
Firstly most gliders are composites and tend to be white making them very hard to see especially as the majority of their operations are just under the cloud bases.
The second reason is that they stay in one place circling for lift compared to a powered aircraft which travels in a straight line.
Thirdly they are pack animals rather than the lone wolf powered aircraft!
They do not have transponders and while in cloud cannot fly IFR as they cannot fly level for more than short times.
Like with anything all is fine until it is not and that goes for the rest of us! A collision with a commercial airline operating OCAS would create a dramatic change in regulations overnight and that is something we all need to be aware of powered or gliders.
None of us powered pilots are trying to spoil your fun. I for one am for more freedom of the skies for all of us not less.
Having experienced a very near miss with a glider in cloud while descending in a twin maybe i am not quite as confident with the big sky theory as most!
Are gliders a collision threat? Of course they are! Are they a bigger collision threat than a powered aircraft IMO yes! Why?
Firstly most gliders are composites and tend to be white making them very hard to see especially as the majority of their operations are just under the cloud bases.
The second reason is that they stay in one place circling for lift compared to a powered aircraft which travels in a straight line.
Thirdly they are pack animals rather than the lone wolf powered aircraft!
They do not have transponders and while in cloud cannot fly IFR as they cannot fly level for more than short times.
Like with anything all is fine until it is not and that goes for the rest of us! A collision with a commercial airline operating OCAS would create a dramatic change in regulations overnight and that is something we all need to be aware of powered or gliders.
... a lot of the things we accept because they've always happened, like gliders in cloud without complying with IFR...
The future SERA (Standardised European Rules of the Air) change all this. Above 3000' they want VFR flights to conform to a semi-circular rule as well as IMC flights.
Yet the glider equipped with literally nothing can legally go there un announced...
I was vaguely under the impression that
- IFR capable certified aircraft have to obey rules about things that might include instrumentation, structural strength, lightning resistance and so on that are of more relevance inside cloud than out
- uncertified aircraft don't have to obey these rules so are more likely to fall apart in clouds so aren't allowed in them
- it doesn't matter if gliders fall apart in cloud because the pilot is wearing a parachute.
If any of that makes any sense then that might be part of your missing logic!
As such, it seems perfectly reasonable that they don't meet the certification requirements for IFR operations
- IFR capable certified aircraft have to obey rules about things that might include instrumentation, structural strength, lightning resistance and so on that are of more relevance inside cloud than out
- uncertified aircraft don't have to obey these rules so are more likely to fall apart in clouds so aren't allowed in them
- it doesn't matter if gliders fall apart in cloud because the pilot is wearing a parachute.
If any of that makes any sense then that might be part of your missing logic!
As such, it seems perfectly reasonable that they don't meet the certification requirements for IFR operations
In reality few glider pilots fly in cloud and most of them have been trained to do so in powered aircraft and either hold, or have held, a recognised qualification. However, many glider pilots fly in IMC - i.e. less than 1,000' vertically from cloud above 3,000' and less than 1500 metres horizontally whilst remaining clear of cloud. Once they have (by April 2015) their shiny new EASA sailplane licence (LAPL(S) or SPL they will loose that privilege and be restricted to pure VMC. From that date cloud flying in UK competitions will be banned.
This VFR only rule will hurt the gliding movement (unless they adopt the French approach) since lift is found under clouds and to get anywhere it is highly desirable to climb to near cloud base in a thermal to get the longest glide to the next.
Personally I do fly gliders in cloud sometimes (I have current power instrument qualification) but most of the time I don't. The reasons are simple. The glider gets wet and loses performance. When I'm very near cloud-base I cannot see where the next probable thermal down-track will be so I don't know my best heading. A few hundred feet lower (but not 1000') and I can plan a sensible route.
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Jim
I am sorry to read the upcoming EASA restrictions on gliders flying under cloudbases!
As stated I want less restrictions and more freedom for us all not less and I can see that such restrictions will severely limit the gliding fraternity
I am sorry to read the upcoming EASA restrictions on gliders flying under cloudbases!
As stated I want less restrictions and more freedom for us all not less and I can see that such restrictions will severely limit the gliding fraternity
